Kirksville’s city manager issued the declaration Wednesday afternoon citing National Weather Service reports indicating the area could see snowfall of eight to 14 inches Thursday through early Friday.

With an official snow emergency declaration, all vehicles parked on emergency snow routes must be removed within two hours of the effective time. Any vehicle parked along a snow route after that time shall be subject to towing.

All emergency snow routes are marked with signs.

Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon also declared a state of emergency ahead of the significant snowfall, clearing the way for state agencies to coordinate with local groups and efforts in response to the storm.

Nixon highlighted disaster, shelter and referral information services available by calling 211 in Missouri. The 211 service is available in most areas of Missouri. In areas where 211 is not operational, call (800) 427-4626.

Nixon also encouraged Missourians to protect themselves and their families by monitoring weather reports, checking driving conditions before departing and checking on elderly and neighbors who many be in need of assistance during a storm.

Parts of the nation’s heartland awoke Thursday to more than half a foot of snow, as the large storm made its way eastward out of the Rockies, snarling traffic for morning commuters and allowing an army of children to trade pen and paper for shovel and sled, at least for a day.

Winter storm warnings were issued from Colorado through Illinois, and many school districts cancelled classes ahead of time, in anticipation of the more than a foot of snow expected to fall in some places.

Kelly Sugden, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Dodge City, Kan., said early Thursday that the storm that had already dumped heavy snow on Colorado and western Kansas on Wednesday was moving a bit slower than first expected, but was “starting to get back together.”

“It’s very active,” Sugden said, noting the snowfall was mixed with lightning and sleet showers.

Sugden said that while forecasters weren’t expecting blizzard conditions to develop in Kansas, the Interstate 70 corridor could get as much as 13 inches of snow, and large drifts would make driving very dangerous.

Page 2 of 3 -

In Oklahoma on Wednesday, roads were covered with a slushy mix of snow and ice that officials said caused a crash that killed an 18-year-old driver, Cody Alexander.

Alexander, of Alex, Okla., skidded in his pickup truck into oncoming traffic on State Highway 19 and was hit by a truck and killed, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said. The other driver wasn’t seriously injured.

In northern Arkansas, a school bus crashed Wednesday on a steep, snowy country road, leaving three students and the driver with minor injuries. Pope County Sheriff Aaron Duval said the bus slid off a road on Crow Mountain, nearly flipping before it was stopped by trees at the roadside.

Officials said the storm could be the Midwest’s worst since a two-day storm that began Feb. 1, 2011. That storm was blamed for about two dozen deaths and left hundreds of thousands without power, some for several days. At its peak, the storm created white-out conditions so intense that Interstate 70 was shut down across the entire state of Missouri.

Tim Chojnacki, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Transportation, said it planned to have salt trucks on the roads before the storm arrived in the Show-Me State in hopes that the precipitation would largely melt upon impact.

For reference, the established local snow emergency routes are as follows:

For north and south routes: Boundary Street from La Harpe to Michigan streets; Osteopathy Street from Hamilton to Potter streets; Third Street from Pierce to Jefferson streets, First Street from Patterson to Shepherd streets, Franklin Street from Patterson to Pierce, Marion and Green Streets from Jefferson to the north junction of Highways 6 and 63; Cottage Grove Place from La Harpe to Hamilton streets; Cottage Grove from Hamilton to the northeast lift station; Halliburton Street from Jefferson to La Harpe streets, Baltimore Street from Patterson to the north highway junction; Jamison Street from Highway 6 east to Highway 11 east and Elson Street from Potter to Buchanan streets.

For east and west routes: La Harpe Street from First to Cottage Grove Place; Hamilton Street from Osteopathy to First streets; Patterson Street from First to Cottage Grove; Michigan from Boundary to Osteopathy streets; Normal Street from Cottage Grove to Jamison streets; Pierce Street from Osteopathy to Third streets; Jefferson Street from Third to Cottage Grove; Potter Street from the west city limits to the north junction of Highways 6 and 63; Illinois Street from Main to Baltimore streets; Harrison Street from Main to Baltimore streets; and Harrison Street from Baltimore to the east junction of Route 11.

In addition: Main Street from McPherson to Harrison streets; Elson Street from Jefferson to Buchanan streets; Franklin Street from Pierce to Buchanan streets; as well as Jefferson Street from Marion to High streets as well as McPherson, Washington, Harrison and Missouri streets from Main to High streets.